[🇵🇰] Handmade Wooden Ship Manufacturing in Pakistan

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Source : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edhEu11fTfo

Handmade Wooden Ship Manufacturing in Pakistan​

Amazing Wood Ship Manufacturing Process​

 

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Boat craftsmanship: A rising tide

Mehar-un-nisa
Photo: Mehar-un-nisa
Creative: Sanober Ahmed

Most of us remember sitting at the edge of our seats in 1997, staring spellbound as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet fell in love on board the Titanic. Except, I wasn’t just watching the two star-crossed lovers — I fell in love with the ship, too. The sound of footfall on the wooden decks of ships and boats is music to my ears, the roar of the sea only adding to this rhythm.

One bright Sunday morning, I was lucky enough to watch these magnificent contraptions come together, as I watched a boat being built at the Karachi Fish Harbour. In Karachi, boat-building yards are located primarily at Ibrahim Hyderi, Sandspit, Hawksbay, and Baba and Bhit islands

Pakistan exports boats to Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Iran. PHOTO: MEHAR-UN-NISA

The boats instilled a sense of wonder over the power of nature. How small are we, and yet we consider ourselves a supreme creation of the world, I mused. Some of us, however, were not as transported by the hulking structures of the boats — one of my friends clambered aboard a boat that was under construction and headed straight for the upper deck, throwing his arms out in an imitation of Jack Dawson’s famous ‘I’m the king of the world’ scene in Titanic.

The thrill of watching the boat come together was more than enough to mask the strong fishy smell at the boat-building yard. Sturdy planks of wood were scattered across the yard and the skeletons of the boats awaited completion. For the photographers in my group, the interlocking frames of the wooden parts offered a fresh perspective at each angle.

Boat-building is an age-old art that dates back to the time of Hazrat Nooh (Noah) (A.S); over time, technique and tools have evolved, of course, but the process remains no less captivating. Near the skeletons of the boats, three men, Haji Kareem Ilahi, Fareedul Haq and Abdul Shakir, sat in the shadow of one of their constructions. I was amazed to learn that these men did not follow any blueprint or drawing while constructing the boats.

They have memorised their methods and do not need any graphs, pictures or drawings to guide their hand. It is astonishing to consider the skill of workers like Ilahi, Haq and Shakir when you learn about European cutting edge techniques in boat-building.

Workers have memorised their methods and do not need any graphs, pictures or drawings to guide their hand. PHOTO: MEHAR-UN-NISA

Abdul Shakir, the youngest of this group, told me that the boats are designed to meet international standards and boats built in Pakistan can rival any others on the market. While many boats here cater to local demands, Shakir said that Pakistan exports boats to Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Iran. According to Shakir, even members of royal families of Saudi Arabia order boats from the Karachi Fisheries Harbour as the quality is excellent.

A single boat can take a minimum of two years to complete and prices start at Rs5o million. PHOTO: MEHAR-UN-NISA

Boat-building is a game of money. The more money someone is willing to invest in the boat, the better the quality of wood used. A single boat can take a minimum of two years to complete and prices start at Rs5o million. The cost is determined by many factors, including the size of type of the ships or boats, and the kind of wood used — Burma teak wood (sagwaan), for instance, is the most expensive, at a cost of Rs12,500 per cubic feet).

 

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Many workers at the Fisheries Harbour agreed that Burma teak or teak from Indonesia is the ideal wood to use due to it’s longevity and sturdiness. Additionally, local wood types such as Keekar, Laachi and Saras are also used in the construction process.

However, many of the workers in the yard expressed fears that if deforestation in Pakistan continues at the same rate, the availability of wood for boats will become scarce and more expensive.

The engines used in the boats are imported from Singapore, China and some are smuggled from Afghanistan, the workers said.

In Karachi, boat-building yards are located primarily at Ibrahim Hyderi, Sandspit, Hawksbay, and Baba and Bhit islands. PHOTO: MEHAR-UN-NISA

The men at the Fisheries Harbour make all kinds of vessels, including cargo ships and ferries. It is a testament to their expertise that they have such a vast range of experience. By the end of my visit to the Fisheries Harbour, I was convinced — I wanted to see the world from a boat now.

Mehar-un-nisa is a Research Associate at the National Centre for Maritime Policy Research and tweets @mehar_un_nisa

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craftsmanship: A rising tide | The Express Tribune​

A day spent watching craftsmen build a boat in Karachi will leave you yearning for the high seas

tribune.com.pk

 

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Pakistan’s craftsmen build boats without layouts and sketches

KARACHI: There are no layouts or drawings on the table, though such sketches are usually
required to build high-quality boats that can navigate stormy waters and survive rough seas. Yet, workers are busy at the biggest boat-building yard in Pakistan that is located at the fish harbor in the port city of Karachi.

“Everything, right from drawing to layout and measurements, is there in our minds,” smiles 52-year-old Muhammad Arshad while doing his work.

A carpenter, Arshad is among the 3500 skilled workers who are employed by the country’s informal boat building sector. He has spent the last 35 years at this facility, which also employs a number of unskilled laborers.

Most workers here earn between Rs 1200 ($11) and Rs 1500 ($14) on a daily basis, though some of them, with exceptionally high skills, even pocket Rs 1800 ($17) per day.

Since drawings, charts, and layouts are alien objects to the craftsmen here, they usually discuss the owner’s requirements in details while booking an order. Their standard conversation at such occasions may include questions about the material that needs to be used and the measurements of the vessel, among other things.

Despite the traditional methodology of its workers, the boat-building yard is known for its skilled craftsmanship. Its signature quality is reflected in the design, stability, and beauty of the products.

“We make fishing boats and cargo ships for domestic and international clients,” Hajji Muhammad, President of the Boat Builders’ Association, told Arab News. “We also supply our products to Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”

A fishing ship manufactured at the yard can cost between Rs 1 million ($ 9506) and Rs 20 million ($190114), depending on its design and the quality of the material.

“A ship equipped with 400 horsepower engine costs about Rs 20 million, depending on the wood we use,” he added. “The price may further go up, if additional material is consumed.”

Under normal circumstances, a medium size boat can take about a year to complete. Cargo ships take much longer, even though they demand more labor and work hours.

Currently, the builders are taking orders for cargo vessels since the demand for fishing boats has gone down due to a variety of reasons, including the use of over-aged vessels.

“The prices of cargo boats is usually between Rs30 million ($285171) to Rs120 million ($1140685),” said Hajji Muhammad.

Owing to the time-consuming nature of the job, about 30 to 40 fishing vessels are built every year. This is over and above the repair work at the yard that rarely comes to an end.

The average life of a boat is 25 years, but a significantly large number of fishermen rely on their old vessels since many of them cannot afford new ones. The Karachi Fish Harbor Authority (KFHA), which regulates the harbor’s affairs, plans to formalize the sector by introducing some basic facilities.

“We want to give it the status of an industry and make it one of the foreign exchange earning sectors by encouraging exports of fishing and cargo boats,” said Mudassir Iqbal, KFHA Managing Director.

 

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In Karachi, boat-building yards are located primarily at Ibrahim Hyderi, Sandspit, Hawksbay, and Baba and Bhit islands.

 

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Boat Making in Pakistan​

 

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Making fishing Boat in Pakistan​

 

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